I have just discovered Yes, Minister

[Andylion]

And Yes, Prime Minister.

Why did I wait so long? I have developed a crush on Nigel Hawthorne, (or maybe Humpy).

My favourite episode is The Key, from Yes, PM. They took time throughout the series setting up Sir H as a smoothly conniving character so that when he does become unhinged, it is a sight to behold. (I know he loses it in other episodes as well, but this is the best.)

I know there must be other fans out there. What are your favourite bits?

Just remembered another episode I love back in the Yes Minister series when Sir Humphrey had royally fucked up regarding the sale of a Government installation on a Scottish Island when he was a junior civil servant and the whole sorry saga was about to be released due to the 30 year rule and Jim Hacker crying with laughter and Bernard trying desperately not to when they discovered that the mystery junior civil servant was Sir Humphrey. Jim then trying to keep a straight face when he let Sir Humphrey off the hook. One of the few times he got one over him. Sublime writing and acting.

The Skeleton in the Cupboard. My favourite too because this works. Everyone has made a fuck up in their career and it pays to remember that.

That's the one bombastix and yes it does pay to remember we can all fuck up.

My husband loves it

I just watched the one about the chemical factory off the back of this thread and there was a really telling bit when Bernard and Humphrey are laughing about the lack of ablative in Greek compared to Latin (?!) and then no one in the room having a clue what an inert compound was.

There's still a scary lack of scientific knowledge in government. Classically educated Boris Johnson would have understood the Greek reference, but thought you might kill covid by sticking a hairdryer up your nose.

I did politics A Level in the 90s, this was considered a teaching aid

The BBC still owns the copyright, but sold the performance rights.

They need to get the performance rights back, the repeat the entire series (and Yes Prime Minister) every election year (starting about 6 months ahead of expected date of election)

How he argues both for and against conscription, by leading Bernard through imaginary opinion polls, is brilliant.

I don't think there's a duff episode at all

It's all so horribly as true today! Love it.

I use that opinion poll sketch in my maths lessons to teach about biased surveys.

It is brilliant and so well crafted noblegiraffe very eye opening.

I watched an episode with DS when he was about 11 and he became a bit obsessed with it - we've got the box set and he's watched it about 5 times. Having read this thread I feel it's time for a rerun!

Like others on here I didn't enjoy this as much as I now do until I started in a role that brings me into regular contact with government and the civil service.

I agree with lots of the comments above about great episodes. It's also very good on general party jostling for favour and key positions. I love the ones where Hacker is waiting to hear about various roles.

The only one I didn't get on with is the one where they lock Sir Humphrey out of No. 10 and he goes berserk - it just felt very out of character!

@heetud - yes, they all 'stand alone' really. You don't need to watch them in order.

Brilliant writing, an frightening how relevant it all still is.
Something so 'current' 40 years ago, shouldn't be current today.

The four stage strategy.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=nb2xFvmKWRY

I can never think of Yes Minister without think of The New Statesman as well.

both utterly brilliant

Absolutely stunning scripts.

Love it, I too have a copy of the scripts somewhere. We frequently use 'courageous decision minister ' in our house when the other one has suggested something stupid.

One of my favourite bits:

Sir Humphrey: Well briefly, sir, I am the Permanent Under Secretary of State, known as the Permanent Secretary. Woolley here is your Principal Private Secretary. I, too, have a Principal Private Secretary, and he is the Principal Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary. Directly responsible to me are ten Deputy Secretaries, 87 Under Secretaries and 219 Assistant Secretaries. Directly responsible to the Principal Private Secretaries are plain Private Secretaries, and the Prime Minister will be appointing two Parliamentary Under-Secretaries and you will be appointing your own Parliamentary Private Secretary.

Hacker: Can they all type?

Sir Humphrey: None of us can type, Minister. Mrs Mackay types: she's the secretary.

One of my favourites is the one he becomes PM in, with the two leading contenders being persuaded to withdraw due to their peccadilloes.

I've been watching a lot of old comedies on itv+ (steptoe, rising damp) and have noticed the same - the constant battle between the left/right, the cost of living, climate change, blaming everything on immigrants....nothing ever changes really!

Dear Lady...

@Ellmau me too! The shady lady from Argentina and it's thought she was just a cover story. Bernard getting increasingly grumpy because he can't see the files....

love this
still very relevant.

You are so lucky.

I feel I can confess here that, although I only starting watching it last week, I am already binging again, to pick up on anything I might have missed.

Oh, the key is fantastic. I do love it when Jim gets a rare victory over dear old humphy 😂

I agree that it could be set today and they'd barely have to change a line. Nothing changes.